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2018 will be a watershed year for US nuclear industry John Kotek, Nuclear Energy Institute This may be a "watershed" year for the US nuclear industry, which must maintain a strong domestic sector by keeping its reactors operating but must also demonstrate it can build new plants, while paving the way for advanced reactors, the Nuclear Energy Institute's (NEI) John Kotek told the US Energy Association's State of the Energy Forum on 18 January.
NEI's John Kotek addresses the State of the Energy Industry Forum (Image: NEI)
"It is critical that we maintain a strong domestic nuclear sector; this begins by keeping our existing plants operating," the NEI's vice-president for policy development and public affairs told the Forum. Much of the action to preserve existing plants will take place at the state level, he said. New York, Illinois and Connecticut have "shown the way", and other states need to follow. "We're encouraged by the states' recognition of the need to keep nuclear plants open, whether for emissions reduction or energy diversity," he said. A failure to value appropriately all the benefits of nuclear power has contributed to an uneven playing field that is forcing nuclear plants to close prematurely, he said. The decision by the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to terminate proceedings on Energy Secretary 1